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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24183586">Analysis of Fan Fiction "Second Mouse" by AlphaFlyer - What makes it Good?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alistra/pseuds/Alistra'>Alistra</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), James Bond - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Analysis, Meta, Textual Interpretation, book report</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:41:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,756</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24183586</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alistra/pseuds/Alistra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A textual interpretation and analysis of rethorical and stylistic devices used in the fan fiction "Second Mouse" by AlphaFlyer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Dramatis Personae or:  I loved the things you didn’t say the most.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/1009635">Second Mouse</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaFlyer/pseuds/AlphaFlyer">AlphaFlyer</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A good few months ago, I read a piece of fan fiction called <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/1009635/chapters/2003478">Second Mouse</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaFlyer/pseuds/AlphaFlyer">AlphaFlyer</a> and enjoyed it a lot. I liked it so much in fact, that I read it again, a little while later. I kept happening upon it, as it has been bookmarked and recommended in a lot of places. And every time I read it, at least in parts. </p><p>Which had me wondering: why do I come back to this? It's a longer piece of work, a paperback novel at least. What makes it so good? </p><p>So now, self isolated at home, I took the opportunity to have a closer look at the why and how of the writing of Second Mouse. </p><p>Obviously, if you haven't read the story, none of this will make any sense. On the other hand: It's a thrilling James Bond spy novel with Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. and a future Avenger thrown in, full of brilliant dialogue and amazing twists - why <i>haven't</i> you gone and read it? </p><p>Do point out if you find that I have made any mistakes or disagree with my observations. I won't take offense. Also there's a lot of personal opinion, I am not claiming to be purely academical about the whole thing. </p><p>So without further ado, here's the first installment of my notes on Second Mouse.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When you open a new book, you don’t know anything about the characters you will meet. </p><p>Fairly obvious, as observations go. </p><p>Maybe, but if you are accustomed to reading fan fiction, this is one of the most crucial differences. Usually, we already know who we are dealing with. We know the characters’ childhood trauma and deepest character flaws, finding variations on a theme, at most. They hold no secrets.<br/>
Usually. </p><p>Right off the bat in the first chapter, I found the approach here intriguing. I wasn’t familiar with the James Bond characters, at least not more than a glance at a trailer, so I came unencumbered with opinions on that end and with far too many on the Marvel side of things. Let us have a look at what the author did to bring both audiences together:</p><p>All chapters are narrated from the limited point of view of one of the acting characters. The perspectives will change from one to another, but the reader never knows anything more than the character currently telling their own story in the present tense, an important fact to keep in mind for a later date. </p><p>So if you have to introduce your characters, it is of course more than fair to just go ahead and describe what you see, but a mere listing of attributes gets old very fast. So here’s what made me want to write all this in the first place: finally realizing, in the umpteenth re-read, that what made the setting compelling, wasn’t what was said, but what was left out. Let me explain.</p><p>We are first introduced to our cast through the eyes of Eve Moneypenny, who already knows both M and Bond (and, naturally, herself) so well at this point in her life, that there would be no reason to reflect upon either of their personalities and appearance in a professional situation. </p><p>So, how does the reader become privy to this information? By figuratively colouring in the outlines, leaving the defined blank space as clear as a picture in itself.</p><p>More specific, Moneypenny is defined by her interaction and knowledge about the other characters. </p><p>But who is she herself?</p><p>We learn a little more about her appearance in the way she describes their newly arrived American counterparts, namely in observing Phil Coulson to be <i>"a white male"</i>, which somebody with the same skin colour is unlikely to find noteworthy, and clarifying only a few sentences later when her description of Fury gives us the observation that he is</p><p>     <i>"[...]black, his complexion much darker than her own.[...]</i></p><p>Even before that, in the first few lines, Moneypenny is established as confidante to the authorative figure of M, by way of well-established non-verbal communication and knowing the quirks (e.g. M's “special cup”) that come with working closely together with somebody over an extended period of time.</p><p>	     <i>M takes her special cup from the tray, thanking Eve with the barest of nods; a slight flicker of her steel-grey eyes<br/>
     makes it clear that the last comment applies to her executive	assistant as well.</i></p><p>At the same time what we know of M, is Moneypenny's observation of her superior:</p><p>     <i>[M is] pacing in front of the large window, her lips pursed in pinched disapproval [...]<br/>
     [...] If M hates anything [...]<br/>
     [...] having none of it. [...] command glares [...]<br/>
     [...] barely concealed horror [at first sight of Fury]</i> </p><p>There is not a single positive attribute used about her in the entire chapter, making the tiny injection:</p><p>     <i>[...]thanking Eve with the barest of nods[...]</i></p><p>all the more poignant as to the depth of their understanding. As before, M's appearance - apart from her eye colour - are described by omission:</p><p>Moneypenny on Nick Fury: </p><p>     <i>"[...] a starker contrast to her own boss Eve could not have imagined in her wildest dreams.<br/>
     Towering over the other two in every way possible, the man is tall, bald and black[...]</i></p><p>Fury likes to provoke a reaction not only through his appearance, but is</p><p>     <i>[...]projecting both supreme confidence in his own authority and the fact that he really, really doesn’t give a shit whether you’re okay with that.[...]</i></p><p>The fact that he gifts M with </p><p>     <i>[...] a toothy grin that is the antithesis of an apology[...] </i></p><p>as well as</p><p>     <i>[picking] up a teacup and, after a moment’s thought, extend[ing] his little finger in a way that<br/>
     makes it clear he normally executes the gesture with the middle one.</i></p><p>throws him in such a stark light, the clash of character and persona in comparison to M, shows her own outline abundantly clear. Or, to summarize with the work itself:</p><p>     <i>The head of MI-6, Eve knows, does not do flamboyance.</i></p><p>In everything she puts out there with words and body language, M projects composure and control, making her sudden single expletive stand out even more:</p><p>     <i> "If we sent agents after every person in this country whose relatives committed war crimes somewhere<br/>
     on the planet I would require a bloody army.”</i></p><p>In reaction to her slip, we see Clint Barton pick up on this, one more hint dropped by the author about just how observant the aptly named Hawkeye is, a fact that will become crucial to the plot way later in the story.</p><p>But I am getting ahead of myself. First, we shall return to introductions:</p><p>Let's return for a moment to the very beginning and to James Bond.</p><p>The author only hints at a romantic interest between Bond and Moneypenny while at the same time making clear that their exchange is on equal footing, emphasizing Moneypenny's  independence and capabilities - not par for the course for a female character in a James Bond work.</p><p>     	<i>[Bond] picks up a cup, with that roguish little smile that routinely brings lesser women than Eve Moneypenny to their knees.<br/>
     [...]she replies, with a similar curl of her lips. Bond will never let her forget that she almost killed him once; she, in turn, likes to<br/>
     remind him that she still might.</i> </p><p>Apart from what we see in the exchange above, his description comes entirely through reflection in his newly-minted American partner, going so far as for Moneypenny to name Barton "Bond-clone" in her mind. </p><p>     <i>[...] same unassuming height and colouring as Bond; even his dirty-blond hair is styled in a similar<br/>
     manner – short and spiky. [...] This is Bond’s counterpart, without doubt; the two of them could be<br/>
     brothers (except for the ears).[...]</i></p><p>It is not clarified whose ears the more prominent are in the text, but I think we can agree that we've all seen the proof for ourselves and accept it for the good-natured joke that it is - no reason to be more royalist than the king, this is for fun after all! :-D</p><p>After so much professionalism, there soon follows an objectifyingly physical description of Clint Barton as the chapter continues. In fact, his physique gets the most attention from Moneypenny apart from strictly business matters up to this point. Aware of his "lean, muscular body" right away, she elaborates soon:</p><p>     <i>Barton [gives her] a polite flash of a smile that resides solely in his eyes. It does interesting things to his face.<br/>
     [...] a nicely developed chest – and a set of rather impressive, veined arms. She suppresses<br/>
     her momentary appreciation and reverts resolutely back to professional mode.[...]</i></p><p>She doesn't stay in "professional mode" for long, mind, describing "those chiseled arms" a mere two sentences later. For full professional disclosure, surely. </p><p>While I can't blame the lady, it is also a very cleverly distracting way the author manages to further define Moneypenny as an equal to Bond in more subtle ways - her observations would be much more easily identified as being as blatantly sexist from the classic "James Bond" prototype, if the genders in question were reversed.</p><p>Meanwhile, similarities between Bond and Barton don't stop at their appearances. It is quite interesting to see just how much care the author puts into the details of making sure that the involuntary teammates are more alike than either them or their superiors anticipated. </p><p>For instance, how the two men position themselves across the room:</p><p>We are not aware of Bond's place in the room before their guests arrive, yet once they do, he is quick to copy Barton's posture:</p><p>     <i>[...] Barton [...] leans against the top of a credenza [...]  Bond, it appears, has noticed and<br/>
     does likewise, on the opposite side. The two men take each other’s measure like silent predator<br/>
     gargoyles staking out their territory; Eve can practically see the waves of testosterone cresting and<br/>
     colliding in the middle of the room.</i></p><p>Even the fact that the waves of testosterone meet in the exact middle of the room seems to imply they are evenly matched. </p><p>Their penchant to behave with a certain degree of insubordination and similar sense of humor is soon made clear:</p><p>     <i>Coulson sends a pleading look towards Barton – Hawkeye – obviously trying to get him to keep the<br/>
     diplomatic incident contained before it goes nuclear. Eve has the feeling that this doesn’t succeed very often</i></p><p>That said, their competence is without question when, as mentioned before:</p><p>     <i>Eve notices Barton’s head lifting at the sudden invective, [...]  His lips quirk a little, almost as if he were<br/>
     recalibrating a prior assessment. (Eve, too, is observant.)</i></p><p>Observant she is indeed. The first time they meet in the lobby, Moneypenny notices:</p><p>     <i>[...] His eyes casually scan the lobby with the air of any curious first-time visitor -- but Eve has long since<br/>
     learned that bland can come in fifty shades of deadly.[...]</i></p><p>Not much later at the briefing itself:</p><p>     <i>[...] Barton’s eyes flicker across to her for the briefest of moments. He doesn’t miss much, she concludes,<br/>
     and finds herself curiously comforted by his attention.[...]</i></p><p>And, last but not least: </p><p>     <i>Barton himself still hasn’t said anything[...] His eyes certainly don’t seem to miss much, and there is definitely someone home behind them. [...]</i></p><p>Although he doesn't get much chance to speak in the first half of the chapter, we already learn a lot about the man - not least because Moneypenny appears to find him very easy on the eyes. </p><p>Which leaves us with only one more character. </p><p>     <i>[...] a white male, is dressed in a suit and tie. With his high forehead and blank facial expression he looks every<br/>
     bit the universal bureaucrat – the kind you find in Whitehall, or on the morning tube. [...] He even smiles, in a blandly efficient way[...]</i></p><p>But as Eve herself thinks, just a few lines previously: </p><p>     <i>[...] Eve has long since learned that </i>bland<i> can come in fifty shades of deadly[...]</i></p><p>The repetition of this very adjective seems too deliberate and well-placed to be a coincidence.</p><p>Phil Coulson's competence is quickly proven, first defusing the situation with smooth introductions before two headstrong directors clash right out the gate, then briefing the MI-6 on the mission without showmanship or posturing. Everything Coulson does is efficient and deliberate. The single time he does feel strongly, he covers so well, that Moneypenny, narrating the scene, cannot tell, having no frame of reference.  </p><p>     <i>[...]It took a very special unit of soldiers, under a very special leader, to thwart [HYDRA's] plans.” He takes a sip of<br/>
     his tea as if to soothe a suddenly dry throat before continuing.[...]</i></p><p>So here we are, our players have been put on the board. What on Earth could possibly happen next?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The bookends that make up the first and last chapter or: Why coffee and booze are superior to tea.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Last time I had a look at how the protagonists were introduced, today I want to point out the parallels in the way we leave them. </p><p>As previously described in part one, the first chapter is very deliberately told from the limited point of view of not just a single character, but one who meets three of the other protagonists for the very first time. The author leaves us readers with just enough information to feel like we know <i>who</i> we are dealing with, but not exactly <i>what</i>. </p><p>We are even told this quite bluntly, as Eve Moneypenny so appropriately states in her very first paragraph: </p><p>      <i>The left hand not having clearance to know what the right hand is doing is a founding principle of the business.</i></p><p>...and of this story, as the reader will, of course, soon find out.</p><p>The first and eighth, last chapter of the story are mirror images of each other, meaning that they are carefully juxtaposed in all their essential elements. </p><p>We now have three narrators in the last chapter, who, in the very same order of interaction as in their first appearance, report on all six of our leading characters. In complete opposition to that first time, they are now speaking openly and without subterfuge. </p><p>It is more subtle than just their sudden exchange of information though, the author's entire palette of colour and temperature is beautifully contrary:</p><p>In the first chapter, for instance, M's eyes are "<i>steel-grey</i>", Moneypenny pitying their guests for the "<i>arctic chill</i>" awaiting them.  There's "<i>a pelting rain, one of those that drain all colour from the London skyline</i>" while at the same time we receive no details on M's office, nothing but the barest props of nondescript teacups, a credenza, desk and generic "seats".</p><p>At the end of our story, all colour has returned. </p><p>     "<i>Phil studies the pastel paintings on the wall – idealized landscape in Tuscany terracotta, pink and turquoise green, probably a subliminal way to make patrons crave the marzipan figures in the displays. He takes another bite of his almond croissant [...]</i>"</p><p>Coulson takes obvious pleasure in the fact that "<i>the coffee is good – café au lait in a bowl – [and] the Danish pastry is flaky and crisp</i>". See how even the special coffee-receptacle now gets a mention? </p><p>What about those cold rain weather we were having when they first met? Not like the author was drawing attention to those images, was it?</p><p>Oh wait:<br/>
Chapter one: </p><p>     <i>“Pleased to meet you, Ms Moneypenny. Phil Coulson. Interesting weather you’re having here.”</i></p><p>     "<i>[...] M [...] isn’t one for niceties or talks about the weather[...]</i>"</p><p>Bygones though, that rain's just water under the proverbial bridge now. Although it is not just the skies that have eased up. </p><p>While we have begun this journey with secrets piled upon secrets and carefully erected facades, our heroes now tip their hand to their new allied counterparts, each of them in a very cleverly constructed way to reflect their conversational partner. </p><p>When Coulson hands Moneypenny confidential information, their first encounter is referenced quite clearly in her reaction to him:</p><p>     "<i>[...] she asks blandly.<br/>
Phil smiles his most enigmatic smile and inclines his head.</i>"</p><p>As we were made aware in chapter one, and as I have pointed out before, it is Moneypenny's own observation that:</p><p>     "<i>[...]</i>bland<i> can come in fifty shades of deadly[...]</i>"</p><p>Not to mention the echo of M and Moneypenny's non-verbal shorthand, a clear sign of a new familiarity between the two liaisons:</p><p>Chapter one:</p><p>     "<i>[M] thanking Eve with the barest of nods.</i>"</p><p>Their closing coffee-salute serves as a sign of their mutual understated professionalism, especially as it is followed by their superiors exchange.</p><p>Said superiors are also set in the complete opposite of their initial 	encounter.</p><p>Where M was previously described entirely with negative attributes and observations, as cold and unwelcoming as the office that served as an extension of herself, she now even gets her first own narrative in the last chapter. A smart move, allowing us to see behind the carefully crafted exterior she has perfected without artificially changing her outward attitude for the reader's sake. </p><p>M's perspective reveals an unexpected amount of joy and playfulness, disclosing her previous interactions for the well calculated diplomacy that they were. For instance, instead of insisting on formality, she opens the conversation with an expletive right away, calling her guest a "fucking idiot". But while that is the exact opposite way of how Coulson and Moneypenny interacted in the previous segment, it serves the same purpose, bringing both conversational partners together by  creating an atmosphere more befitting their actual personalities rather than their projected ones. </p><p>     "<i>[Fury] sits in the corner like a giant bat, [...] scar [...] underneath the black [eye] patch remind[ing M] of a malignant spider.<br/>
The Head of MI-6 is not inclined to fall for dramatic presentation, especially not in her own office, but she is almost – </i>almost<i> – prepared to make an exception for Nick Fury. He looms quite strikingly, even while sitting down, and she wonders for a moment whether he practices in front of a mirror.</i></p><p>See how it's not "M", but the "the head of MI-6" who's not falling for the dramatic? It is her job and professionalism that will always win out, but in the privacy of her own observational narrative, she is quite amused.  </p><p>In turn, Fury makes no move to hide just how tired he is, deciding to address M with a lazy "Lady" and looking "<i>weary beyond his years</i>" in clear contrast to his portrayal of vigilance in the first chapter, when "<i>his one eye burn[ed] with a disquieting intensity</i>".<br/>
The careful pauses and controlled give-and-take of information in their first encounter is exchanged for a smoother conversation between equals, so that even the book-ended call-back to their previous meeting now still holds little, but at least some amusement, which is more than it did before:</p><p>Chapter one:<br/>
     "<i>Fury bares his impressive teeth in what is most decidedly not a smile.</i></p><p>Chapter eight:<br/>
     "<i>A sudden grim grin splits Fury’s face, white teeth gleaming with far more menace than humour.</i></p><p>In the end, our most definite proof for their changed relationship comes back to drinks.</p><p>While tea served on a tray, as in the beginning, has always been associated with decorum and ceremony, M very eloquently summarizes the last chapter:</p><p>     "<i>So fuck the tea. This calls for the good stuff.</i>"</p><p>And so they share the good stuff indeed. Not just in expensive spirits, coffee and crumpets or  beer for the two agents, but of course in the only real currency of their trade:</p><p>Truth. </p><p>Fury lets M in on his concerns about the world's future and his plans of action. The fact that he does this and asks for her continued cooperation to "<i>agree to pick up the phone whenever [they] see something the other should deal with</i>" not only implies his trust, but his hope for her and MI-6 to be part of a better future. </p><p>Which leaves us with one last setting. </p><p>There is a lot of good stuff packed into the final scene between Bond and Barton, - it may be my favourite of the entire story - which kept distracting me from focussing on the parallels to chapter one, although there are quite a few. </p><p>Was it Moneypenny who first pointed us towards  just how observant Barton is, we have since had proof of it in his narrative throughout the previous chapters. In this last one, while reflecting on the interior design and etymology of a "pub", he reminds us, with all the subtlety of a boomerang arrow to the back of the head:</p><p>     "<i>Who knew spending a week in an island kingdom could be so fucking educational, and in your own language yet?</i>"</p><p>I'm sure none of us will ever be mistaking "Isles" for " Islands" again in our lives, the lesson we have been given at their very first meeting having been so pivotal later on. (Never let it be said that fiction isn't educational.)</p><p>But what really defines this last part in comparison to the first, is again summarized by a character in the scene itself. While Moneypenny mused about the omnipresence of secrets in the beginning, it's Bond who now assures us: </p><p>     <i>“I’m off the clock. No image to uphold. I only do suave when I get paid for it.</i>”</p><p>Following his statement, a lot of loose ends get wrapped up nice and tidily, and that this is done mostly in open and honest dialogue is the biggest contrast to how we started. To repeat it yet again, in their line of work, information is the only currency of value, so the familiarity that comes with sharing comparatively minor facts, whether it be Fury to M about Coulson's affinity for Captain America trading cards or Bond casually referring to the Washington station chief as being a classmate of his, tells us a lot about the amounts of trust that have been achieved. Where before, the two men tried to establish some kind of testosterone-laden hierarchy with too-tight handshakes and posturing, Barton, and through his eyes we, the readers, come to a conclusion:</p><p>     <i>It suddenly strikes Clint that somewhere along the line the man sitting across from him has become a friend [...]</i></p><p>Naturally, the throwback to just how alike they are comes in a different arena now, so apart from their continued professional entanglement with the elusive Natasha Romanoff, it's namely their mututal excellence at having a catastrophic romantic life.</p><p>And, as by now we expect it to, summed up in character, this time by Barton, we are left with the perfect antithesis of Moneypenny's introductory statement about the left hand's clearance on what the right hand is up to: </p><p>     <i>Clint makes a decision. They’ve shared a fair bit already, and apparently even their organizations now talk to one another on occasion. So fuck Level Seven – sometimes, it’s just about trust.</i></p><p>If you factor in how the references to past MCU and Bond in the beginning relate to the foreshadowing of canon plot for both fandoms in this last chapter, it's arguably the most beautiful bookend to the work in its entirety.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Textual analysis of the entire work</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The actual textual analysis that nobody has been waiting for.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>'Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the first mouse.' - Tony Stark</b>
</p><p>In her fanwork Second Mouse, published in Octobre 2013 at the Archive of our Own, the author AlphaFlyer has created a novella on trust and secrecy in a thrilling tale of espionage, featuring characters and settings from Marvel's Avengers franchise as well as the world of Ian Fleming's James Bond.<br/>
Additionally, the work is enriched with the manipulated photo illustrations of Inkvoices.</p><p>The main part of the plot takes place on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, where secret agents Clint Barton of S.H.I.E.L.D. and James Bond of MI-6 are sent to investigate the machinations of one Anton Marquardt of just as secret, but villainous, HYDRA. With both sides equally averse to sharing intel, they are unprepared when a third party of unknown loyalties enters the scene.</p><p>Second Mouse is divided into eight chapters, averaging at around 4,000 words each, with the exception of the penultimate, seventh chapter which, at just over 7,000 words, has almost twice that length. Events occur in chronological order over the course of four to five days and are consistently narrated in present tense in the limited point of view of one of its featuring characters. In the later chapters five, seven and eight, there are alternating narrators within the chapters to allow for plot taking place in different locations at the same time. The imprecision of the time frame is due to the fact that after the well documented four days covering chapters one through seven, the eighth yields only vague allusions as to when it takes place.</p><p>As this is a piece of fiction combining two worlds that are very different in their imagined reality, the author preludes the first chapter by explaining just how individual timelines were tweaked to make this transformative work possible. Geography, by and large, stayed the same, and while most of the story takes place in Scotland, it both begins and ends in London. </p><p>We accompany our protagonists from the offices of MI-6 to Bond picking up his American counterpart from the real existing Durrant Hotel's lobby, all the way north to the fictional Loch Dun Lodge on Skye. Of course, no Bond adventure would be complete without its trademark equipment, received en route from Q on a stopover at Bletchley.<br/>
HYDRA's base of operations is a temporary collection of military huts and equipment close to Loch Dun and the Black Cuillin ridge, posing as a legitimate scientific undertaking fenced off, but not impenetrable to the seasoned agents.</p><p>The narrative structure of the work is one of the most interesting things about it. Every character is limited to their own observations, thus limiting the information the reader receives, effectively guiding the conclusions they are able to draw. At the same time, the unique personalities are reflected in each narrator's choice of language and individual characteristics, subtly shaping the reader's mood as the story progresses.<br/>
I have already extensively covered the clever introduction of main characters in my first installment of analysis, which can be found <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24183586/chapters/58247374l">&gt;&gt;here&lt;&lt;</a>, so I am not going to address that part again.</p><p>Eve Moneypenny, who is narrating the first and part of the fifth and seventh chapter, is comparatively emotional in her observations and reactions, for instance in her playful exchange with Bond, her initial shock at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s briefing on HYDRA (both ch.1), or annoyance at Bond's unapologetic promiscuity (ch.4), but more reserved and professional in her outward actions. She weaves in personal asides into her observation, for instance what her mother taught her - like not to get into cars with strangers - and enjoys figurative expressions way more than any of the other narrators. As a result, her chapters make the reader feel like talking to a confidante, an impression her conversation with Phil Coulson later amplifies.</p><p>Quite opposite in tone is James Bond, who narrates chapters two, four and part of seven. Quite convinced of himself, Bond revels in his perceived sophistication and superiority over the uncultured American. Like Moneypenny, his choice of words is pointedly British, a fact even addressed in character as he tells a seemingly confused Barton to put his bowcase in the "boot" of the Aston Martin. In a deliberate clash with his own perception though, Bond has a crass and controversial unpleasantness in his inner monologue. Jealous of Barton's instant connection with Q, he admits to himself he'd love to "bash" Q's face in "for the sheer pleasure of watching the guy bleed" (ch. 2) and indulges in petty jealousy and score-keeping for most of his narrative. He swears profusely and with gusto, while also loving to paint grandiose images, like "as if the planet were intent on shrugging off its human irritants in a gesture of titanic contempt" (ch.7). Taking himself entirely too seriously, he measures everyone he meets against his own abilities and cannot hide his surprise every time Barton proves himself to be at least equal, if not more adept at anything. Since it is from his perspective that we are introduced to the woman known as Naida Ramirez, his underestimation of women in general and Miss Ramirez in particular, is what the reader is deliberately presented with, while Barton's instant suspicion of her is left for later. </p><p>Speaking of Clint Barton: as similar as he is described to Bond in all visual aspects, the more obvious the differences are from his private perspective. Where Bond is overly serious, Barton never stops quipping. He is a fountain of pop culture references and an abundance of very acute, detail-oriented observations that don't necessarily always further the plot but certainly make the entire tableau a whole lot richer. His ever-present sense of humour and fondness of dry jokes is only matched by Phil Coulson and, much to his own unexpected delight, Natasha Romanoff, once she has given up the cover of Naida Ramirez. In stark contrast to Bond, Barton always, even in the privacy of his own thoughts, very pointedly refers to "women" where "girls" are implied. (See, for instance chapter seven, where his own quotation marks indicate his opinion quite clearly, when he is hoping the men "sent to catch up with the 'silly girl' had caught up with this woman instead" and at Bond's question about his sexual preference in chapter eight: "Girls? Never. Women? Absolutely." He's negatively noticed Bond's previous use of the diminutive as well, clear to the reader as, when trying to provoke the other man, his choice is to tell him that he "throws like a girl" (ch.7). Despite his outwardly relaxed and unphased appearance, Barton is very focused on the job, choosing coffee over spirits every time and surprising Bond by how quickly he's showered and returned to work after their excursion on the moor in chapter three. Only after they are off duty, in the end of chapter eight, does he indulge in sharing beers with Bond.</p><p>Last but not least, the eighth chapter gifts us with two new narrators that prove the author's cleverness in choosing their perspective.<br/>
Both M and Phil Coulson have perfected the ability of giving nothing of their thoughts away, so now, after has been said and done, to have the privilege of looking behind the facade of carefully erected secrets, beautifully rounds off the whole tale.<br/>
We even get a glimpse at just how good Coulson's - Phil's now, in his own observation - pokerface is, by the way of a tiny hint of information that clearly answers another occasion's question: where Moneypenny, accustomed to Bond's overt appreciation of the female form, deliberately arranges her skirt to cover her knees and notes that Coulson does not "give[s] off the vibe of one who’d be looking", in chapter five. From his own perspective, listing the pleasant details about his surroundings come chapter eight, he is shown quite aware that Moneypenny is "easy on the eyes". Coulson, while as observant as Barton when it comes to details (colours, nationality of serving staff, etc), is at least as good at the roundabout allusion and implication way of information exchange as Moneypenny; they share a common diplomatic language. So when he outwardly compliments one assistant ("I did manage to speak with [Tony Stark's] assistant, though. Very sensible woman"), it can well be interpreted as a compliment to the one sitting opposite him, an assumption affirmed by Moneypenny's genuine reaction of a snorted laugh. Plausible deniability, of course, always being the safest route in their profession.<br/>
As a last perfect callback to Moneypenny's first observation of Coulson as coming across as "bland", the final chapter's denouement gives the inside scoop as to this being an intentional decision on his part: "Phil comes close to rolling his eyes[...], but he has an image to uphold and so he just smiles blandly."<br/>
More on the juxtaposition of themes and images in chapters one and eight can be found <a href="#section0002">&gt;&gt;here&lt;&lt;</a>, in my previously posted part two. Insights on M's narrative can be found in part one, see the other link further up. </p><p>The red thread that runs through this entire story is, how the withholding of information and the things deliberately left unsaid shape the perception of the characters, but at the same time how the well-chosen limited point of view of the narrators shapes the expectation and conclusions of the reader. By seemingly giving the reader all information available - after all, the narrator is right there, in the thick of the action, we are hoodwinked into taking observations at face value. Only in the end, when the protagonists are speaking honestly with each other, we receive answers to questions, we weren't aware were still left open and come to realize the many breadcrumbs left along the way.</p><p>But how can we tell that we are no longer being lied to now?</p><p>Well, for example by having a closer look at the vocabulary we are being presented with. On more than one occasion, the author is very sneaky that way. To name just one example, let's take Bond's question as to whether Barton had been attracted to Romanoff. Was he answering truthfully? </p><p>Barton, in chapter eight:</p><p>"[S]he was absolutely my type. Most gorgeous woman I’ve clapped my eyes on in a very long time"</p><p>And what was he thinking to himself when he first saw her in chapter three?</p><p>"[...]the most gorgeous woman Clint has ever clapped eyes on walks into the [...] room"</p><p>As that was his own private narrative, so it must have been his genuine reaction. </p><p>In conclusion, AlphaFlyer's Second Mouse was a pleasure to read without paying attention to why that was the case, but after digging deeper into just how much detail went into the construction, I can admit I am genuinely in love with it. Its playful approach to language and eye for detail is exceptional in this genre.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Outtakes - Dogs and Ballerinas, oh my!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>These are unconnected notes that didn't really fit anywhere else, so have a collection of 'outtakes' as bonus.<br/>Details that just made me very happy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>From chapter one:</p><p>
  <b>Fury doesn’t reply, just raises an eyebrow and flashes a look at [Agent Barton] : The cutting of the man’s leash. [ He is] grinning like a pit bull whose pup has just started to chew on his first Doberman."</b>
</p><p>It's a beautiful tiny detail that Moneypenny casts Fury and Barton as pit bulls while Bond, to her, is a doberman. The subtle connotation only occurred to me on the repeated reading: the doberman breed is usually used to portray a certain degree of sophistication in watch dogs or security details. They are sleek and bred to quite artificial attributes of what is perceived as visually pleasing. </p><p>Don't hate me for saying that pit bulls are often associated with the opposite. At least the figurative pit bull is believed to be a a scrapper. While of course pit bulls are also selectively bred, they more than often are chosen to be portrayed as the choice of those foregoing subtlety for muscle. </p><p>I'm not going to pretend to read any penis metaphors about docked tails into this, but it's taking all my willpower to overcome my love for inappropriate jokes. X-D</p><p>---</p><p>From chapter two:</p><p>
  <b>“That left-side drive thing is just plain weird,” Barton remarks as Bond guns around a lorry into the passing lane.  “Although I gotta say, I made real good time once in Delhi by basically ignoring it.  Freaked out some truck drivers though. [...]</b>
</p><p>Bond's narrative, so he passes a <i>lorry</i>, but Barton's direct speech, so <i>truck driver</i>.</p><p>Gotta love consistency.</p><p>Also chapter two:</p><p>Q asks after Barton's favourite Star Trek Captain and receives a surprising answer:</p><p>
  <b>“I would have had you pegged for a Kirk man, based on what Moneypenny told me about you.”</b>
</p><p>...because Moneypenny thinks Barton is similar enough to Bond to be his brother and would of course describe him as such. No surprise that leads to associations with a leader who is often insubordinate and always drawn to what he perceives to be the weaker sex. </p><p>Lovely detail!</p><p>---</p><p>When we are introduced to Naida Ramirez (nice throwback to old-timey Black Widow canon, btw, where Natasha's  identities always keep the initials NR) in chapter four, Barton is suspicious of the identity she is selling. </p><p>
  <b>“My maiden name is Assylmuratova.” </b>
</p><p><b>“Oh.  Right.”</b> </p><p>Do you know who Altynai Asylmuratova is? Oh, she's only the actual, real artistic director of the ballet company at Astana Opera and a former prima ballerina.</p><p>Alpha, you clever lady. </p><p>
  <b>Barton flashes her an understanding grin; it alters his face, and Bond can see the briefest, involuntary reaction in Ramirez’ eyes in response.  </b>
</p><p>Otherwise known as: "Don't bullshit a bullshitter."</p><p>To me, that whole exchange reads as Romanoff having some low key respect for Barton, (hinted at in the "involuntary reaction in [her] eyes") since anyone working covert ops <i>should</i> be double checking anybody they are supposed to cooperate with. Bond on the other hand, has firmly handed over battle and intelligence control to his internal southern division, making him judge Barton's actions exclusively on the grounds of courtship behaviour.</p><p>---</p><p>My favourite part all in all may have been the sly hints as to how much Clint and Natasha have in common. For instance remember when Bond first describes Barton as he picks him up in chapter two?</p><p>
  <b>Barton’s good humour evaporates as suddenly as he had mustered it after Bond’s little motivational speech, and he turns -- not cold, but … still.  Like a cobra, ready to strike. </b>
</p><p>And Natasha, as described by Barton in chapter seven?</p><p>
  <b> It’s quite a different smile than the one she’d given him (not to mention Bond) the night before; it reminds him of a cobra, ready to strike – as deadly, and as beautiful.</b>
</p><p>Aw, guyyys! You're matching venomous snakes! Relationship goals or what?! That's like, so romantic! X-D</p><p>Continuing in that line of thought: </p><p>
  <b>Barton’s voice comes as a surprise, he’s been quiet for that long,[...](Show-off.)</b>
</p><p>*cackles* </p><p>
  <b>“True,” Naida replies, her voice no longer frosty.  Quite the contrary, really.  Maybe she has forgiven Barton his earlier indiscretion?  She doesn’t seem the sort to hold a grudge, and meeting someone on their own turf can go a ways to break the ice.  In fact, the gaze she allows to linger on Barton contains a considerable amount of heat and Bond wonders for a moment what, if anything, the man will do with that.<br/>
[...]<br/>
Barton fixes her with one of his intense stares.  He seems to have missed his visual cue entirely; his own body language hasn’t changed one bit.  Interesting, given the way he seemed to have deliberately provoked her earlier.  Bond could have sworn where there’s smoke … </b>
</p><p>I'm interpreting and appreciating this two-fold:<br/>
1) The attraction is mutual, of course, but a large part of that is the appreciation of a fellow professional, since, as we're all aware, Bond checked his investigative brain at the door and in turn got caveman-brain from the valet. So far so obvious.<br/>
2) Natasha's plan included sleeping her way to some information, as we know. From this exchange I am taking Bond was not her first choice. </p><p>Also, as for their exchange after she's revealed as Not!Naida:<br/>
Does trading quips and staying cool in the face of imminent death count as budding romance between spies?</p><p>---</p><p>Further proof that Bond's brain disengages completely when he meets Miss Ramirez: how else could one explain that in chapter four, he sits across from his partner stating:</p><p>
  <b>“My ex wouldn’t even take mine while we were married.  She sure as hell wouldn’t have kept it when we called it quits.”</b>
</p><p>Only to be surprised come chapter eight:</p><p>
  <b>Bond cocks a questioning eyebrow.  ‘You, married?’ his face practically screams, as well it might; Clint sometimes has a hard time believing it himself.  Hell, he did even when he was married, which was part of the problem.</b>
</p><p>Some spy you are. </p><p>---</p><p>Chapter four: </p><p>
  <b>Sure enough, Barton is cradling another coffee already; Ramirez is working on a highball of something red.  Campari?  Cape Cod?  Judging by their body language, Barton isn’t into picking up any potential passes, and Ramirez has stopped pitching.</b>
</p><p>Smooth, Bond, first check whether they are flirting and only then check motives and intentions. Priorities, right?</p><p>---</p><p>I didn't find the right place to tuck into my analysis the fact that only Barton and Bond habitually fall into army lingo, like Bond suspecting Hawkeye's bowcase to be a "MANPAD" (lol), which, in case you didn't know, stands for man-portable air-defense system. Barton does the same when identifying HYDRA's huts and model and make of helicopter just from watching them pass over. </p><p>---</p><p>
  <b>Eve has been around the block enough times to know that, in a world where spoken words are often heard by unseen ears, the real message often lies in the silences between them – the things unspoken, the calculated omissions.  </b>
</p><p>You don't say, it's as if you summed up the whole story in one sentence where I was sweating for a day to formulate your bloody leitmotif! Whoops. </p><p>---</p><p>I couldn't quite fit in my text that the fact that Moneypenny expects Coulson to be looking at her bare knees when she joins him in his car does not just show the kind of male attention she is used to, it also shows the kind of physical awareness she has which, again, is a parallel to how Bond moves through the world and in what ways they are alike.<br/>
She also refers to Bond and Barton as "our boys" which might be a coincidence, but considering what lengths the author went to, to ensure that Barton made his opinion on girls/women known, it's unlikely. </p><p>---</p><p>Chapter five:</p><p>
  <b>"And yes, like many things long believed to have been dormant, there are forces on this island that await only a re-awakening to be brought back and be harnessed to fulfill their glorious purpose.”</b>
</p><p>Is that from the Asgardian edition of "Villainous Speeches for Dummies"? "Glorious purpose", hm?<br/>
Marquardt's stilted speech pattern was a joy, btw. </p><p>---</p><p>There's a handful of "easter egg"-like references to other Marvel stuff that is not given context. For example Barton going "Ok, this looks bad.", his Fraction-verse Hawkeye catchphrase appears not once, but twice. </p><p>---</p><p>That's... all I've got. </p><p>Thank you for reading.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I would like to thank AlphaFlyer for letting me play with her toys, patiently answering any and all of my questions and being incredibly supportive. Not only of this nonsense, but in general. You're one of the good guys, Chrisjen.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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